한국 <공자 동자 문답> 전승의 종합적 연구 = Comprehensive study on Korean transmission of <Dialogues of Confucius and the Child>

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In Korea's <Dialogues of Confucius and the Child>, the sequence of sections is fixed: Confucius and the child's dispute over who will take the road, simple riddles led by Confucius, absurd or contradictory question-and-answer exchanges led by the child, and Confucius' general commentary. Narratively, the dispute evolves into a quarrel, thereby developing into a competition of language in which Confucius is defeated, forming argumentative narratives where Confucius either praises the child or expresses self-reproach. Variable elements include prior knowledge about Confucius, his proposals and the child's refusals, question-and-answer exchanges concerning ethical living, inquiries into astronomical knowledge, and anecdotes after Confucius' defeat.
Korean transmission materials consist of 9 texts in classical Chinese, 17 tesxts in Korean script, and 33 texts in oral traditions. Despite differences across media, commonalities in paragraph structure and narrative elements suggest possible mutual influence. Furthermore, these commonalities form distinct lineages across each domain. Both classical Chinese and Korean script texts also share bibliographic features that serve as criteria for their classification.
Classical Chinese texts clearly illustrate their similarities and differences with the Chinese tradition, ultimately delineating the boundary between Chinese influence from the <Dispute of Child> and unique local transmissions, subsequently leading to the formation of specific lineages. Korean script texts are sometimes adaptations of classical Chinese texts but also reflect the traditions of peripheral Northeast Asian peoples. Also such texts have been incorporated into Confucius biographies and have evolved into other narrative formats, thereby demonstrating the greatest variety of changes among the three domains. Oral traditions focus on confrontations between figures of different social ranks, thus showcasing creativity in thematic interpretation. They even perceive Confucius mythically as a competitor for worldly take-over, and the child's verbal competitions significantly influenced the creation of multiple subtypes of <The Clever Child>.
In the Confucius-Child Dialogue, Confucius embodies various symbols such as teacher, sage, and ruler, while the child assumes a relative status such as the younger generation, sacred child, or common people, depending on the version. However, a commonality exists in that Confucius plays the role of knowing yet unaware, whereas the child is unaware yet knowing, thus engaging in debate as counterparts. This provides the basis for the inclusion of <Confucius-Child Dialogue> in Confucian biographical material and explains why the <wisdom of children> story is added in both Korean written versions and oral traditions.
Among the parodies of Confucius's words and actions, the <Theory of Universal Peace> is the most significant. In the narrative, the child interprets universal peace as <worldly equality> and argues that it would cause tremendous harm to both the natural ecosystem and human society. In addition, a general commentary borrowing Confucius's voice also employs the technique of reflective imitation. In Korean tradition, this is divided into the “The younger generation is to be feared” from the Analects and the Korean proverb “First hair, then horns”. The former emphasizes recognizing and embracing the child's abilities, whereas the latter mainly expresses Confucius's lament over his own defeat.
In Korea, <Confucius-Child Dialogue> witnessed various audiences creating their own versions while participating in the debates within the work. Overall, they aimed at the theme that the representative of manifest knowledge and the possessor of latent wisdom have corresponding value. These versions reflect on how knowledge and wisdom can be beneficial to the world.